Carolina Skiff 238DLV vs. G3 Advantage V210

For several months now, I've been looking at and doing my homework on the Carolina Skiff 238DLV. I like the boat because it's big and has a lot of potential to be a good catfish rig. It's a center console with a lot of walk-around room and gobs of storage.

Last night, I was surfin' the net a little bit, doin' some more research, and came across the G3 Advantage 210. After reading some more into it, it seem like the G3 would be more fitting for catfishing. It was originally developed for the walleye guys, but with the wide gunnels, storage for rods up to 9' long, and large livewell, it seems like the better choice.

The CS, on the other hand, has a 2' length advantage over the G3. Large and wide, with a ton of room for fighting fish. It's also got wide gunnels, but no rod storage to speak of, and a small (15gal.) livewell.

Take a look at them and tell me what y'all think. Thanks in advance, everybody... :cool2:

$41,000?!! For that kinda money I could have a whole fleet of Cattin boats:smile2:. I've never owned a Carolina Skiff, but I have seen quite a few, and if I could buy a boat dedicated to catfishing it would probaly be the Skiff.

Somehow I just KNEW Dieter would jump in here and tout on the CS....:wink:

Let me throw in some more info here.....Like I said before, I've done my homework on the Carolina Skiff 238DLV and the best price I've been given is $23,000 from The Grass Shack, on Lake Lanier, near Atlanta. That price included a Suzuki 4-stroke 140, Lowrance FF/GPS unit, and MinnKota Riptide 80lb TM with a 60" shaft. All riding on a Wesco tandem axle trailer with surge brakes. The G3 I priced is at Sutton Marine in Aiken SC. I told them that I wanted a 150 4-stroke (brand doesn't matter to me), and the same depthfinder and trolling motor that I mentioned above. They gave me a price of just over $22,000.

I know I'd probably be happier in the Skiff because of the room, but I'm not in a position to dump a lot of money in a boat to add some essential items. That's why I started looking around and found the G3's. It's a decent price and it's got everything I need/want already included. It's just that the Skiff is bigger......

Yeah Brad, I looked long and hard at the SeaArk ProCat 240's too. I priced them at Long's Marine on Lake Hartwell, but just couldn't see myself forking over $40,000 for one. Don't get me wrong, they're nice. But I can't get one 'cause I ain't won the lottery yet! But I ain't givin' up either.....

If I think about this any harder, I'm gonna fry what little brain I have left.....

Hey Dieter, when are you gonna head down here to fish Greenwood with us? Maybe you could let me skipper that CS of yours for a little while and "persuade" me a little further.....:smile2::wink:

I would go with the G3 for that price. I fished out of a G3 Angler V185 w/ a BOC'er and was very impressed w/ the boat. I actually almost bought one about a year ago. I believe that boat would hold up longer than the Skiff.

Hey Matthew,
Give brother Cheez a shout I belive he now has the exact Skiff you are looking at, and by the way I went with him when he picked it up from the Grass Shack last year...:wink: might have some insight about them, I know he likes his...
Puddle

"..... The G3 I priced is at Sutton Marine in Aiken SC. I told them that I wanted a 150 4-stroke (brand doesn't matter to me), and the same depthfinder and trolling motor that I mentioned above. They gave me a price of just over $22,000....."

Was that price for the V210 new?

Something don't make sense if it was. That boat lists for around $41k, which means you can probably get one for $38 + your electronics and trolling motor. I don't see how they can come another $20 off the price.

I would go for the G3 Matt. My fishing partner has the 218dlv and likes his boat, plenty of room, etc. When it's cold outside the windshield you'll be behind is worth every penny. I have a 21 ft starcraft cuddy cabin now and he likes the ride better than his skiff ride. Don't get me wrong, with the new hull design by CS, it rides good, but it's still typically a FLAT bottomed boat and can tell when you are in ruff water or hit a good sized wake. Maybe I can drag myself and you to lake G-WOOD and fish a little in the next few weekends, so you can c the v-hull ride.:cool2:

I think it depends largely on where you are going to be fishing the most. I personally like the skiff's the best, but I fish lakes. If I fished rivers I would feel better in an aluminum job which the G3 is. It would let me worry less about hitting trash or bumping the bottom.

I also don't care for the dual console setup on the G3, I like a center console (never owned one, but fished out of a couple so I may get one an hate it in the long run). That is a layout perference. I do like how the console is moved forward, giving good room in the back of the boat on the G3. I really like the openness of the skiff's

The fact is, if the G3 is 10k more then the skiff or a 20' aluminum flatbottom, there is no way I could justify spending the money on the G3.

"..... The G3 I priced is at Sutton Marine in Aiken SC. I told them that I wanted a 150 4-stroke (brand doesn't matter to me), and the same depthfinder and trolling motor that I mentioned above. They gave me a price of just over $22,000....."

Was that price for the V210 new?

Something don't make sense if it was. That boat lists for around $41k, which means you can probably get one for $38 + your electronics and trolling motor. I don't see how they can come another $20 off the price.

I found a used demo V210 with the electronics for $34k.

Sounds like someone may hvae made you a misleading quote.

Click to expand...

No, that wasn't a "new boat" price. This one was a demo with more more hours than it should have. I've also looked for good used V210's, but I haven't had any luck. Where did you find the $34K deal?

Wesley, you do need to get your butt up here. The weird weather we had a couple of weeks ago messed up the cats, but they're starting to come around again.

"...I think it depends largely on where you are going to be fishing the most..."

catsandsuds summed it up well.

Like others have said, the deep V will run a lot smoother in really rough water. The model you referenced is also faster as equipped, but I am not sure how it compares when both models have the same horespower.

The trade off on the deep V's is that you give up a lot of room and floor space to have the deep V hull. If you fish alone or with one person it is not that big of a deal, but bring along more than one person and you run out of space fast! If I was on big water a lot like Lake Erie I would give more consideration to a deep V.

Personally, I try not to fish when it is really bad windy. Once it gets to the point my DLV is "rough riding" the fishing is usually pretty tough anyway. 90% of my days are spent fishing in conditions that are perfect for the DLV, so I am not going to give up the space for 10% of the time when it is rough.

The bottom line is that ANY BOAT IS A COMPROMISE! No one boat offers everything you need. Figure out what you need the majority of the time, and then find that boat within your budget.

You are welcome to come and fish with me any day and see what my boat is like, and I am sure there are some deep V owners that will do the same so you can make an honest comparison.